On June 9, 2009, Nova Scotians headed to the polls amidst the worst capitalist crisis in 70 years. The election of Darrell Dexter’s New Democrats was perhaps the best possible outcome from the existing balance of forces, yet far from guarantees a victory against the dangerous big-business assault our province has been enduring for generations.
The time now is for the youth and students, together with the labour movement and all other progressives, to mobilize and demand an alternative agenda based on people’s needs not corporate greed.
Young people should not assume that the NDP’s election will automatically lead to significant gains for working people without massive public pressure. First, the NDP’s election platform was milquetoast. For example: not addressing the need for expanding public ownership and reversing privatization, from health care to the energy sector; proposing tax cuts for students instead of dramatically reducing and eliminating fees; and even dropping their demand for a $10 minimum wage.
Secondly, social democracy’s history across Canada confirms that NDP is extremely venerable to corporate pressure. That record includes Gary Doer’s Manitoba NDP government, where the minimum wage is well below the poverty line, tuition fees are rising, and the government is working with Wal-Mart, Sears and Rona to carry out a yellow ribbon “support the troops” in Afghanistan campaign. Finally, social democracy is in crisis internationally; at a time when neo-liberalism is intensifying its sustained attack on the people social democracy’s general response is to adopt a line of concession rather than resistance. The recent European elections also suggest that when the people reject that approach it doesn’t not automatically lead to a shift to the left.
All this is good reason to the build the fight-back, not least among youth. While the NDP and the bourgeois parties have spent the last weeks bickering over fiscal responsibility, the Nova Scotian youth and students are struggling to make ends meet, burdened by capitalist policies that protect the rich and starve the poor. The Young Communist League believes reinforcing the struggles of youth and students is urgent, necessary and possible! We propose demands that fight for our rights and needs:
Free, accessible, quality education
We want more and better – instead of fewer and worse – schools, colleges and universities. Reduce and eliminate apprenticeship fees and tuition fees. We need a 100% public, democratic, accessible, quality, portable education system. Ultimately students should receive a living stipend to make education accessible to all. We demand that Nova Scotia regard the education of youth as a right rather than a personal privilege of the rich, not the highest fees in the country.
Jobs
Employment is a right of all young workers. Sustainable, alternative economic policies are required to democratically run our economy, block deindustrialization and create better, safer work, with better wages for youth. The provincial minimum wage of $8.60 keeps thousands of people living in poverty and must be raised to a level that allows people to live in dignity; we need a $16/h minimum wage. We must stop and reverse the de-industrialization of the Atlantic region, beginning with cancelling the anti-democratic Atlantica deals, and create better work with better wages for youth. If the private sector won’t do it, the government should.
An end to privatization and the expansion of social services
The Nova Scotia government is systematically giving away our energy, healthcare system and natural resources to giant monopolies whose only concern is profit, not the well being of youth. Privatization is nothing more than a theft of services that citizens fought for, own and depend on! Privatization must be stopped and reversed. This includes handing over to the people through public ownership and control, public services and resources. Nationalize Irving! Existing social services and infrastructure, including health care, education, affordable housing, social assistance, transportation and child care, must be expanded.
Energy and food security
The future of our planet is in danger. Capitalism continues to lead to the destruction of the natural environment at an unprecedented pace in its ruthless quest for increased profits. There now exists the very real danger of our world becoming unliveable for the next generation. In Nova Scotia, we need cleaner energy that is produced and distributed through worker-owned, democratically run organizations. We also must seek alternative, local sources of food and stop supporting multinational food corporations that exploit workers, harm nature and jeapordize our health.
Equality
Real social progress requires solidarity with the struggles for the liberation of all nations, peoples and genders of the Atlantic region. We must demand the reversal of racist policies affecting Mi’kmaq First Nations, Metis, African Nova Scotians, immigrants and migrants, as well as Anglo-centric policies that discriminate against Acadian nation. We must recognize the value of all labour, both at home and in the paid workforce, and end the economic exploitation of women. Violence against women and children, sexism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia must be abolished.
Real democracy
We must push for Proportional Representation in Nova Scotia and struggle to create the economic and social conditions for real democracy, including our democratic right to control the economy. Ultimately, capitalism is inherently in contradiction with the freedom and democracy of the working class, the people and youth. It denies the vast majority of citizen’s ownership and control over their work places, natural resources, in fact, their lives.
Youth in Nova Scotia – let’s fight for a future that liberates us all. The future is socialism!